The computer mouse has become a standard peripheral for the personal computer. In order to make the mouse operate more efficiently, mouse pads have been proposed such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,217,781 and 4,799,054. Both of the devices disclosed in these patents provide a surface which enhances the movement of the mouse body relative to the mouse ball for more effective manipulation of the pointer on the computer screen.
Although these devices have been helpful in improving the maneuverability of the pointer on the computer screen, the wire connection between the mouse and the computer housing becomes a problem. The extensive use of the mouse will pull the wire onto the mouse pad surface creating an inconvenient obstruction. The user is then required to lift the mouse and remove the connecting wire.
The extensive and continuous use of the mouse has been identified as one source of repetitive strain injuries in the workplace. As a result of the operator continuously undergoing the same and repetitive motion such as manipulating the mouse, computer operators are at a higher risk of sustaining repetitive strain injury.
Various wrist supporting devices have been proposed in an attempt to reduce repetitive strain injury. Such wrist rest supports are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,131,614, 5,165,630, 5,201,485, 5,228,655 and 5,265,835.
In still yet another device, commercially available from Forminco Inc. of Quebec, Canada, under the trademark MOUSE ARENA, a combination mouse pad and wrist support is provided. The device comprises a blow molded base having a mouse pad surface affixed within a well in the blow molded base. The base has two channels on the underside thereof adapted to slidably receive a bar on which is mounted a curved rest support which elevates the wrist of the user above the mouse pad. The wrist support bar may be inserted in either of the two channels to arrange the device in either a left handed or right handed configuration. The blow molded body is designed such that the mouse pad is inclined to the horizontal. A spring is mounted on the blow molded body. The spring has a pigtail for receiving the wire cord of the mouse. The user serpentines the cord through the pigtail elevating the cord out of the plane of the mouse pad surface.
Although the Forminco Inc. mouse pad and wrist support has experienced success in the marketplace, it still suffers from two important drawbacks. First, the spring for retaining the mouse cord elevates the cord out of the plane of the mouse pad surface. The user is still able to pull the cord through the pigtail and thus must be still periodically retracted. If the pigtail is wound too tightly the user will constantly tug on the spring increasing the risk of repetitive strain injury. Secondly, the device has several parts which must be manually assembled prior to packaging and subsequently by the user. This increases the cost of manufacture and also increases the size and amount of packaging required for each unit.